White House offer could throw wrinkle into Pa. Senate race

Republicans are pouncing on revelations today that the White House offered Rep. Joe Sestak an unpaid post to stay out of the Pennsylvania Democratic primary, but it's not yet clear how large the controversy will play in the November election.

"They're not worried about Joe Sestak's job, they're worried about their job," Sestak said today about Pennsylvania's voters. Asked if he thought the issue would be a factor in the election, Sestak responded: "No, not at all."

A day after President Obama faced questions about White House involvement in the race, the administration released a memo stating that Sestak had been offered an unpaid position on a presidential advisory board. For more details on the White House memo, check out this post on USA TODAY's The Oval.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele argued today that the memo raised more questions than it answered. Amber Marchand, spokeswoman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, agreed.

"This report directly contradicts Joe Sestak's repeated claims, and there are still a number of unanswered questions that the White House is attempting to sweep under the rug while Americans are not looking," Marchand said in a statement. "Joe Sestak needs to speak up immediately and explain whether he over-exaggerated his original claims, or whether the White House is downplaying the offer that he received."

Sestak beat incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter in the state's May 18 Democratic primary partly by positioning himself as the outsider. Because he denied the job, Sestak has tried to use the controversy to his advantage, holding it up as an example of his independence.

"I understand Washington, D.C., is often about political deals," he said today. "I immediately said 'no' so I could focus on what I want to focus on ... that the people in Pennsylvania have been slammed."

Terry Madonna, director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College, said as long as no new revelations come to light, the issue is not likely to dominate the race by November.

"If there's no ... additional information, I think it just goes away," Madonna said. "This is not an issue at the level where the voters live."

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About Catalina Camia

Catalina Camia leads the OnPolitics online community and has been at USA TODAY since 2005. She has been a reporter or editor covering politics and Congress for two decades, including stints at The Dallas Morning News and Congressional Quarterly. Follow her at @USATOnPolitics.